Opener

ABSTRACT

An opener for removing the ring and tear-away closure element from the top of a can. The opener includes a nose portion for insertion through the ring, a handle or gripping portion opposite the nose, and a depending fulcrum member disposed between the nose and handle so that the nose portion engages the ring and tears away the closure as the opener is rotated about the fulcrum. A retaining member is provided on the opener to catch and retain the ring and closure element after removal from the can.

United States Patent Reed etal. [451 Apr. 18,1972

[541 OPENER v l,4l0,426 3/1922 Torgerson ..254/28 1 1 InventorsMAM-515E:lowsww-nv- 33:33? 1311383 hiilililijiiii:1:33:113113351333113$3133 Reed, 123 Womack, both of Borger, Tex.

22 Filed: May 4,1910 21 AppLNoQ: 34,337

1521 u.s.m 81/346 51 lnt.Cl ..-B67b7/00 5s FleldolSearell..8l/3.46,3.47,3.34,3.36,

[56] 1mm cm UNITED sures-Trams I 3,460, 11 8/1969 Dyer ..s1/3.34

' Primary Examiner-James L. Jones, Jr.

Anomey-A. H. Evans [57] ABSTRACT An opener for removing the ring andtear-away closure' element from the top of a can. The opener includes anose portion for insertion through the. ring, a handle or grippingportion opposite the nose, and a depending fulcrum member disposedbetween the nose and handle so that the nose portion engages the ringand tears away the closure as the opener is rotated about the fulcrum. Aretaining member is provided on the opener to catch and retain the ringand closure element PATENTEDAPR i8 1912 min;

J05 A. REED JOHN D. [9550 INVENTORS ATTORNE Y5 OPENER This inventionrelates to openers, and more particularly to an opener for removing thering and attached tear-away closure element from'the top of a containeror can.

Rings with attached tear-away closure elements have come into widespreaduse to provide a sealed opening in cans containing drinking fluids,particularly soft drinks and beer. The ring is designed to lie flat onthe top of the can and the closure element (which is attached to thering) forms part of the top of the can. The ring is initially lifted andthe finger inserted through the ring-Then the ring and attached closureelement are pulled away from the top of the can so that the closureelement is torn away to expose an, appropriate openingin the top of thecan throughwhich the contents may be'poured.

However, it is, frequently difficult, if not impossible, for someonehaving short fingernails to initially lift the ring. Also, thefingernail may be damaged by attempting to insert it under the ring andby lifting the ring sufficiently to permit insertion of the fingerthrough the ring. If a substantial number of such cans .are opened, thering may cause painful injury to the finger. These problems haveprevented these cans from being utilized where large numbers must beopened, even though the can is easier to handle and cool than is a.glass container and is not subject to breakages-Furthermore, a degreeofstrength is required to tear away the closure-element and break the sealbetween it and the top of the can.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an opener forreadily and easily removing theringand attached closure element from;thetop of a can to expose an opening through which the contents may bepoured.

lt is another object of this invention to provide such an opener toprevent damage to the fingernail or injury to the finger when openingsuch a can.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an opener of thecharacter described which includes a means for retaining the ring andclosure element after they have been removed from the container or can.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide such an openerwhich utilizes the principle of leverage in tearing away the closureelement from the top of the can so that such element may be removed bysomeone, such as a child, having relatively little strength.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of this invention willappear more fully hereinafter from a consideration of the followingdetailed description and drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric illustration of an opener constructed inaccordance with the present invention in place on the top of a can andengaging the ring;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation view of the opener of FIG. 1 after theopener has been rotated about the fulcrum point and the closure elementpartially torn away from the top of the can; and

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of theopener.

Referring to the drawings, in which like symbols designate correspondingparts throughout the several illustrations, the numeral designates anopener constructed in accordance with the present invention whichincludes a body member 11 having a handle 12 at one end suitable forgripping by hand and a ring-engaging means 13 at the other end. Afulcrum means 14 is provided on the body member 11 between the handle 12and the ring-engaging means 13.

Also illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a portion of a common container orcan 50 including its top 51 with a typical ring 52 and attached closureelement 53 which, when torn away from the top 51 by pulling on the ring52, uncovers the opening through which the contents of the container maybe removed.

The ring-engaging means 13 preferably includes a nose portion 15 forinserting through the ring. The nose 15 is provided with a taperedsurface 16 to permit easy insertion of the nose 15 under the ring 52.The ring-engaging means 13 also includes a stop means 17 to prevent thering 52 from passing over the body member 11 and to provide anothersurface in addition to nose 15 for engaging the ring 52 as it is removedfrom the can 50. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the stop meansis provided by a shoulder 18 formed between the body member 11 and thenose 15, the shoulder 18-having a width greater than the dimension ofthe opening through the ring 52 so that itmay not pass any further overthe body member 11.

The fulcrum means 14 preferably includes an arm 19 which depends fromthe bottom of the body member 11 at a point between thering-engaging'means 13 and the handle 12. The fulcrum means 14 ispositionedwith respect to the ringengaging means 13 so that when thelatter engages the ring 52 preparatory to lifting the ring 52, the end20 of the arm 19 engages the top 51 of the can 50 at or near theinterior surface of the rim 54 when the portion of the body member 11between the ring-engaging means 13 and the fulcrum 14 is positioned overthe closure element 53.

A retainingmeans 21 is also provided to catch and retain the ring 52 andattached closure element 53 after they have been removed from the top 51of the can 50. The retaining means 21 preferably includes a flexiblearcuate member 22 which is secured to the body member 11 at one end 23.The other end 24 of the arcuate member 22 is in yieldable engagementwith the ring-engaging means 13 so that the ring 52 may pass between theend-24 of the arcuate member 22 and the ring-engaging means 13 as thelatter is initially inserted through the ring 52 or as the ring 52 islifted from the can as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The end 24 of thearcuate member 22 may be curved upwardly away from the tapered surface16 on the nose 15 to facilitate and guide the ring 52 in passing betweenthe end 24 of the arcuate member 22 and the ring engaging means 13.Thus, once the ring 52 has passed between the end 24 and ring-engagingmeans 13, the ring 52 is retained by the closed loop comprising theretaining means 21, ring-engaging means 13 and body member 11.

Reinforcing channels or ribs 25 may be provided along the handle 12,body member 11, and retaining means 21, as desired, to reinforce andstrengthen the various parts.

To use the opener 10, the ring-engaging'means 13 is first insertedthrough the opening in the ring 52 and the opener l0 positioned so thatthe body 11 lies over the closure element 53 and the fulcrum means 14engages the top 51 of the can 50 at or near the inner surface of the rim54. The opener 12 is then rotated counterclockwise as shown in HO. 2 bymoving the handle 12 downwardly. As best seen in FIG. 2, this motion ofthe opener 12 causes the ring-engaging means 13 to lift the ring 52 andseparate the closure element 53 from the top 51 of the can 50 by atearing or peeling action. As the rotation of the opener is continued,the ring 52 and attached closure element 53 are separated or torn awayfrom the top 51 of the can 50 to expose the opening through which thecontents of the can 50 may be poured.

As has been noted above, the ring 52 passes between the end 24 of theretaining means 21 and the ring-engaging means 13 either as thering-engaging means 13 is first put through the ring 52 or as the opener12 is rotated as shown in FIG. 2, depending on the dimensions selectedfor the ring-engaging means 13 and retaining means 21. As the closureelement 53 is finally separated from the top 51, it tends to rotate orflip about the ring-engaging means 13 or nose 15 and onto the arcuatemember 22 of the retaining means 21. Thus, the arcuate member 22 of theretaining means 21 should be dimensioned so that the ring 52 fitsloosely about or around the arcuate member 22. When it is desired toremove the collected rings 7 from the retaining means 21, the rings aresimply pulled with sufficient force to separate the yieldable engagementbetween the end 24 of the retaining means 21 and the ring-engaging means13.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention isillustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the size,shape and material, as well as in the details of the illustratedconstruction, may be made within the scope of the appended claimswithout departure from the spirit of the invention.

We claim:

1. An opener for removing the ring and attached tear-away closure from acontainer comprising,

a body member, s

a handle portion forming one end of said body member,

ring-engaging means formed on the other end of said body member forinsertion through said ring,

fulcrum means coacting with said body member between said handle portionand said ring-engaging means whereby when said body member is rotatedabout said fulcrum means, said ring-engaging means engages said ring andtears said ring and closure away from said container, and

retaining means forming a closed loop with said ring-engaging means andsaid body member to removably retain said ring and attached closure.

2. The opener of claim 1 wherein said retaining means comprises aflexible arcuate member having one end attached to said body member andthe other end in yieldable engagement with said ring-engaging means sothat said ring passes between said ring-engaging means and said otherend of said arcuate member whereby said ring-retaining means forms ayieldably closed loop with said ring-engaging means so that when saidring and attached tear-away closure are removed from said container,said ring and closure are removably retained by said flexible arcuatemember. 3. The opener of claim 1 wherein said ring-engaging meanscomprises a nose having a width less than the dimension of the openingthrough said ring whereby said nose may be inserted through said ring,and

stop means formed on said body member between said nose and said handleportion to prevent the passage of said body member through said ring,said stop means comprising a shoulder formed by said nose and said bodymember, said shoulder having a width greater than the dimension of theopening through said ring whereby said shoulder stops said ring fromfurther passage along said body member, said shoulder being disposedbetween the location where the ring-retaining means engages said noseportion and the location where the other end of said ring-retainingmeans is secured to said body member.

' i a r

1. An opener for removing the ring and attached tear-away closure from acontainer comprising, a body member, a handle portion forming one end ofsaid body member, ring-engaging means formed on the other end of saidbody member for insertion through said ring, fulcrum means coacting withsaid body member between said handle portion and said ring-engagingmeans whereby when said body member is rotated about said fulcrum means,said ring-engaging means engages said ring and tears said ring andclosure away from said container, and retaining means forming a closedloop with said ring-engaging means and said body member to removablyretain said ring and attached closure.
 2. The opener of claim 1 whereinsaid retaining means comprises a flexible arcuate member having one endattached to said body member and the other end in yieldable engagementwith said ring-engaging means so that said ring passes between saidring-engaging means and said other end of said arcuate member wherebysaid ring-retaining means forms a yieldably closed loop with saidring-engaging means so that when said ring and attached tear-awayclosure are removed from said container, said ring and closure areremovably retained by said flexible arcuate member.
 3. The opener ofclaim 1 wherein said ring-engaging means comprises a nose having a widthless than the dimension of the opening through said ring whereby saidnose may be inserted through said ring, and stop means formed on saidbody member between said nose and said handle portion to prevent thepassage of said body member through said ring, said stop meanscomprising a shoulder formed by said nose and said body member, saidshoulder having a width greater than the dimension of the openingthrough said ring whereby said shoulder stops said ring from furtherpassage along said body member, said shoulder being disposed between thelocation where the ring-retaining means engages said nose portion andthe location where the other end of said ring-retaining means is securedto said body member.